Material transferring apparatus



March 8, 193.2 G. STOVER ET AL MATER-IAL TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheei:

INVENTOR 'Y M l W17. epm-rfa March 8, 1932- GJSTOVER ET AL y MATERIAL TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sinaai` Eu; ATTORNEY `of so-called lifting-forks` Patented Mar. 8, 1932 entre stares PATE FFECE GEORGE STOVER, JAMES M. AMES, AND EDWARD T. CARROLL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AS

SIGNORS TO AMES TRANSFER COMPANY, 07F NEW YORK, N. .Y., A CORPORATION O F N EW YORK MATERIAL TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Application filed December 13, 1930. Serial No. 502,038.

rlhis invention relates to material transferring apparatus. Loose materials are conveniently handled by a grab-bucket, such as the familiar clam-shell 0r orange-peel bucket. Material of regular forms such as bricks, planks, etc. cannot be handled by such devices, and, especially in the case of bricks, it is usual to transfer such material by means These forks conist of a U-'shaped frame, the arms of which are normally horizontal. Thelower arm is adapted to be slipped under a stack of bricks or the like while the other arm isconnected to the hoisting mechanism. The point of suspension is located so that when ythe arms are substantially horizontal it is over the center of gravity of the load, including the frame. The load may be discharged by lowering the frame and its load onto a support having a recess or recesses therein to receive the Alower arm of the frame while retaining the load. l/Vhen the weight of the load has been tra-nsferred to the support, the frame is then slid horizontally from beneath the load. Another method is to tilt the frame to dump material carried thereby. This dumping is conveniently accomplished by a dumping chain or cable attached to the lower part of the frame. The present invention has more particular application to the last mentioned method of discharging the load carried by the lifting-fork.

bhe principal object of the present invention isV to enable the same hoisting equipment to be used for operating both a grab-bucket and a lifting-fork without requiring dis connecting and removal of the grab-bucket. 'llo this end we provide.thegrab-bucket with suitable connecting means for suspending and connecting a lifting-fork in such manner that the grab-bucket shall serve as part of the lmechani-.sm for raising and lowering and dumping the liftingfork. l

rilhe usual clam-shell bucket comprises two scoop-plates.l or jaw members, an .upper brachec member to which the hoisting cable is connected and which carries a guide pulley for he dumping cable .from which the hung by pivotallyconnected links, 1 1 I I anu a horizontal operating shaft to which side arms extending from the Vjaws are pivotally connected so that as the shaft moves downward away from the bracket member the swing outward away from each other. i

ln connecting a lifting-fork to such a bucket in accordance with the present invention,the lifting chain, or cable, of the liftingfork is connected to they vertically movable .operating shaft of the bucket and the fork dumping cable is connected to one of the jaws, or scoop plates, of the bucket, so that when the bucket opens the relative vertical movement between the operating shaft and` the jaw to which the fork dumping cable is connected will cause the required relative movement between the lifting and dumping cables of the fork to tilt and thereby dump the fork. y

Other objects of the invention are to reduce wear on the parts, facilitate the connection and Vdisconnection of the lifting-fork, enable the load on the latter to be balanced readily, and retain on the forks the pallet on which the bricks are stacked so that the pallet will not be dumped with the bricks. y

An embodiment of the invention in the form now considered best is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevation of the grab-bucket and lifting-fork, with the latter in material elevating position;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same with a part broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, except that the parts are shown in fork dumping po-y sition;

Fig. l is a detail elevational view showing a part of the fork hoisting connections.

The drawings show a grab-bucket 10 of conventional form and design and a liftingfork ll. -The latter is formed of a number `load to be lifted. The upper arms of the members 12 are connected by angle bars 14 and 15, which serve not merely to strengthen the fork but also to provide points of attachment for four supporting chains 16. These four chains are connected together by a ring 17, by which the fork as a whole may be suspended. For leveling adjustment of the fork, the chains of the front or rear pair, or both, are provided with means for adjusting their effective length. As shown, such means are Vprovided for the chains of the front pair, and comprise balls 18 seated vin roles in the angle bar 14 and through which pass threaded rods 19 to which the chains are connected and on which are adjusting nuts bearing against the balls. The balls, being free to turn in their seats, enable the rods 19 to align themselves automatically with the direction of pull thereon.

So long as the fork is suspended wholly by the ring 17, the lower arms of the members 12, forming the bottom of the fork, are maintained in nearly horizontal or load supporting positon. To dump the contents of the fork, the latter has to be tilted. This is accomplished by means of dumping chains or cables 2O connected to the lower rear part of the lifting-fork. By holding the ring 17 steady and pulling upward on the chains 20, or by holding the chains 20 steady and lowering the ring 17, or by a combination of these two methods, the lifting fork may be tilted into the dumping positon shown in Fig. 3.

The grab-bucket shown is of the well known clam-shell type, comprising two scoops, or jaws, 21 hung from a bracket mem ber 22 by links 23 and from an operating shaft 24 beneath the bracket 22 by two pairs of side arms 25 and 26 extending from the two jaws and pivoted on the shaft 24,the arrangement being such that when the operatin ,shaft moves downward away from the bracket 22 the jaws 21 are swung apart from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3. The bracket member 22 is hung on the hoisting cable 27, and a dumping cable 23 which controls the opening and closing of the bucket extends down past a guide pulley 29 and is secured to a large diameter pulley 3() rotatably mounted on the shaft 24. On each side of the pulley 30 is a small diameter drum or hub 31 formed or secured to turn with the pulley 30. To each of the drums 31 is attached the lower end of a chain or other cable 32 the upper end of which is secured to the bracket member 22. If the dumping cable is drawn upward when the bucket is open, the pulley 30 and drums 31 are rotated and by the winding of the chains 32 on the drums the pulley and drums and the shaft V24 and parts connected with it are caused to move upward toward the member v22, thereby swinging the bucket jaws back to movement relatively to the hoisting cable the bucket jaws are held closed, but when the dumping cable is released or permitted to move downward relatively to the hoisting cable, the pulley and drums are free to turn, and by the weight of the bucket jaws and the load in the bucket the shaft 24 moves downward away from the member 22 and the jaws swing outward, such downward movement of the shaft being limited by the length of the chains 32.

When the lifting-fork is suspended from the grab-bucket in accordance with the present invention, the relative movements between the lifting' and 'dumping cables of the fork for tilting the fork into dumping position and for returning it to carrying position are, as stated, eifected by operation of the bucket, the lifting cable of the fork being connected to the operating shaft of the bucket, the fork dumping cable being connected to one of the bucket jaws. The connecting means should be such that the lifting-fork may be readily connected to and disconnected from the grab-bucket, and the parts of the connecting means which remain on the bucket when a lifting fork is not connected thereto should not interfere with the use of the grab-bucket as such. The connecting devices shown in the drawings meet these requirements and have other advantages.

If the lifting fork were suspended from the operating shaft of the bucket by a chain or chains extending downward between the bucket jaws, destructive wear would result on both the chains and the jaw edges when the jaws closed on the chains. Vlo avoid such wear, a plate 33 is suspended from the operating shaft by chains 34 connected one to each end of the plate, and the lifting fork is suspended from this plate by a chain 35 connected to a lower mid point of theV plate and having hook 36 at the lower end for detach-- able connection with the ring 17 of the fork chains 16. The plate is suspended at such distance below the operating shaft that when the bucket is closed the jaw edges will contact with the plate below the points of connection therewith of the chains 34 and above the point of connection of the chain he edges of the aws thus contact with a long` flat smooth surface, so that the wear at any pointon either the jaw edges or the. plate is but slight. Y

For detachably connecting the plate chains 34 to the shaft 24 so that the wear plate could be readily removed` from the grab-bucketI` having the bucket in condition for its customary use, two links 37 are hung on the shaft 24 one near each end of the shaft conveniently between the ends of the jaw arms 25 and 26. As the arms 25 and 2G are inclined outwardly from the shaft, the links, in order that they may extend vertically downward under the pull of the chains 34, are curved edgewise to permitthem to cross the plane of the inner arms 26,. so that while they upper .ends of the links are outsidethe upper ends of the arms the lower ends of the links will when the are disconnected from the links 37, and the Y wear plate 33 is removed. The links 37 do not' interfere with the use of the grab-bucket For merely connecting` disconnecting` diderent lifting forks, however, it is more convenient to make yand unmjake the lifting con nection at the hook 36.

For connecting the fork dumping cable, one of the bucket jaws is provided with a shackle 39 at the upper outer edge of the jaw hung on the bolt which holds the lower ends of the center braces 40 of the jaw supporting links 23. A hook l1 on a ring 4t2 ccnnecting the ends of the dumping cables 20 serves for conveniently connecting and disconncctingthe cables to the bucket jaw.

It will be understood that the invention also includes the combination with a grabbucket of a dumping b-ucket or the like as well as lifting-fork, all of which devices may be designated generally as lifting and dumping devices. Further, the invention isapplicable to grab-buckets having three or. more jaws. For buckets having more than two jaws, the wear plate instead of being all in one plane if formed of three or more sections or parts spaced apart from each other at suitable angles to receive impact of thejaw edges.

rEhe lifting-fork may be used for lifting and transporting a. wide variety of objects such as bricks, blocks, planks, etc. It is especially designed, however, for handling bricks.

It has been found convenient to stack bricks Y on a wooden platform known as a pallet to facilitate the insertion of the lower arm members of the lifting-fork beneath the stack of bricks. As shown, this pallet consists of a vnumber of boards 50 laid across and secured to cross-pieces 5l of greater' height than the lower arm members of the fork and of less width than the spaces between the latter, so that when the pallet is resting on the ground the'lower arm of the fork may be slid under the boards 50. It is desirable to retain the pallet on the fork when the bricks stacked Ythereon are dumped, so that the pallet may be returned to the brick.stacking` iioor. For

'this purpose, we provide a releasable retainy ing member for engaging the. pall-et to holdv` it against sliding` forward on the fork arm` ln the construction shown this releasablc member is a hook 52 which is adapted to be slipped over the edge of the pallet aft-er the lifting-fork has been raised off the ground and then secured in place by a chain 53 passf ing around a pulley 5 4 and attached to oneV g shackle 39.

end' of a lever 5,5 pivotally mounted on a one or other of a series of holes 57 in the plates 56, n

. plate 56 on the rear of the lifting-fork. The long arm'l of this lever isvmoved downwardly Y tov pull th-e chain 53 taut and then secured in' position by a pin inserted thereabove in The useof the pallet isk not essential, as I the bricks may be stacked on a floor having.-

slotsto receive thelower arms of thefork,

or the bricks may be laid lengthwise across` .a series of supports torleave room beneathv the stack of bricks for the fork arms or theV bricks may be stacked directly on the fork arms. Y Y l Whenit. is ldesired to use the grab-bucket the hooksl 38 are disconnected from the links 37 and the hook 41 is disconnected from the At other times, it is more convenie'ntA to leave the plate 33 attached to the grab-bucket and connect and disconnectthelifting-fork or different lifting-forks by the hooks and 4:1. f

That is claimed is Vl. The combination with a grab-bucket and means for raising. and lowering` and for opening and closing the bucket, of al liftingl .and .dumping device suspended from the bucket by alifting connection, and a dumping connection between'the lifting and dump-Y mg device andthebucket, said lifting and dumping connections being each to,` diiferent Y parts of the bucket which during the opening Aandgclosing operations of the bucket have al` relative vertical movement, whereby bv onev of said opera-tions of the bucket the lifting and dumping device is dumped,

2. The combination with a grabbucket and means for raising and loweringv andv forl opening and closing the bucket, lof a lifting and dumping devicev and a lifting` cabi-e and a dumping cable connected thereto, and Vmeans for detachably connecting said lifting cable and said dumping cable to di'erent parts of the bucket `which during the opening and fclosv ing operations ofthe bucket have al relative vertical movement, whereb by one vof said operations of thebucket the iftine and dumping device is dumped. y l

3; The combination` with a grab-bucket having jaws 'mounted toswing outward to dump thexloa'd andfhavinga member whichv moves ldownward as the jaws movejoutward,

`of a lifting and'idumping device detachably suspended from the4 grab-bucket by a lifting cable connected tov said member of the grabc Y bucket; anda dumping'cable extending from the lifting and dumping device to a inem-y ber of the grab-bucket with' respect to which the Afirst Asaid memberv moves downwardly.

4:, The" combination `with a grab-bucket dump'the load; and havingan inner member whiclrm'ofves downward relatively tothe jaws 'having jaws mounted toswing outward to as the jaws" move-outward, of a liizti'rig-for1;'j 1:30

suspended from the grab-bucket by a lifting cable detachably connected to said inner member, and a dumping cable extending from the lifting-fork to one of the jaws of the grabbucket. y Y s The combination with a clam-shell grab- -bucket Vhaving an operating shaft which moves downward relatively i to the bucket jaws as the jaws open, of a lifting-fork suspended from said operating shaft of the bucket, and a dumping connection extending from the lifting-fork'to one of the jaws of the bucket.

6. The combination with a grab-bucket VNVhaving jaws mounted to swing outward to dump the load and having ,a member which moves downward as ythe jaws open, of a lifting and dumping device, and means for suspending said device from the grab-bucket 4,.pended from said operating shaft at a dis-Y tance therefrom such that when the jaws ofl comprising a plate member detachably suspended from said member at such `distance therefrom that whenthe jaws ofthe bucket f are closed the plate memberextends between the adjacent edges of the jaws, and a dumping cable extending from the lifting and dumping device and connected to one of the bucket jaws.

7. The combination with a clam-shell grab-V bucket having an` operating shaft which moves downward relatively to the bucket.

11. The combination with a lifting-fork,

of a pallet formed to seat on the load-carrying arm of the fork, and means for releasably holding the pallet on the fork arm when the fork is tilted to dump the load on the pallet comprising a hook for engaging the forward edge of the pallet and releasable holding means at the back of the fork and a connection from the hook to said means whereby theV fork is held against the edge of the pallet.

In testimony whereof wehave hereunto set our hands.

GEORGE STOVER. JAMES M.'AMES. EDWARD T. CARROLL.

jaws as the aws open, of a lifting fork, means for suspending the lifting fork from the bucket comprising a plate detachably susthe bucket are closed the plateis. positionedV between the jaw edges and a lifting member detachably connected to saidl plate, and a .dumping cable extending from the lifting fork' and detachably connected to lone ofthe jaws of the bucket. j

8. The combination withV a grab-bucket having jaws mounted to swing outwardlyto .dump the load, of aload supporting member detachably suspended from a part of theV bucket in position to engage the edges of the` bucket jaws when the jaws are closed, said member being formed to provide extended' .jaw engaging surfaces.

jaws as the jaws opemof meanssfor suspend-v of links hung'on said shaft and a load supporting plate detachably` connectedto said Y links and hung'therefromV at such distance below vthe shaft that when the bucketjaws ing a load from the bucket comprising a pair arelclosed the plate is positioned between the f.

jaw edges. 

